Find out how popular the last name Borlaug is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Borlaug.

Borlaug, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Borlaug surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Borlaug in America

Borlaug is the 105600th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Borlaug surname appeared 169 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Borlaug.

We can also compare 2010 data for Borlaug to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Borlaug

The surname BORLAUG has its origins in Norway, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse words "borr," meaning "evergreen tree," and "laugr," meaning "a small lake or pool." This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptor for someone who lived near an evergreen-surrounded body of water.

One of the earliest known references to the BORLAUG name can be found in the 1593 census records of the village of Vågå, located in the Gudbrandsdalen valley of central Norway. The name appears to have been concentrated primarily in this region during its early years, with several variations in spelling, such as Borlaugr, Borloug, and Borlaugh.

By the 17th century, the BORLAUG name had spread to other parts of Norway, particularly the coastal areas. In the 1645 parish records of Kristiansand, a fisherman named Nils Borlaug is mentioned, indicating the name's presence in the maritime community.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the BORLAUG surname was Hans Borlaug (1625-1697), a farmer and landowner from the village of Lom in the Gudbrandsdalen valley. He is recorded as having inherited a substantial amount of property from his father, which he later passed on to his own children.

Another historical figure with this name was Knut Borlaug (1789-1865), a prominent member of the Norwegian Storting (parliament) in the mid-19th century. He played a significant role in the debates surrounding Norway's independence from Sweden.

In the late 19th century, the BORLAUG name gained global recognition through the accomplishments of Arne Borlaug (1867-1942), a Norwegian-American electrical engineer and inventor. He is best known for his contributions to the development of the alternating current (AC) electrical system and his work with Nikola Tesla.

Moving into the 20th century, perhaps the most famous individual with the BORLAUG surname is Norman Borlaug (1914-2009), an American agronomist who is widely regarded as the "Father of the Green Revolution." He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his efforts in developing high-yielding varieties of wheat that helped alleviate hunger and famine in many parts of the world.

Throughout its history, the BORLAUG name has been found not only in Norway but also in other Scandinavian countries, as well as in regions with significant Norwegian immigration, such as the United States and Canada.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Borlaug

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Borlaug.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Borlaug was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Borlaug has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Borlaug was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Borlaug, please contact us.

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